Ambition, pride, and arrogance-- these traits are often found in great rulers and leaders, yet they are also the most prominent flaws in most villains. In the case of Julius Caesar, he was both. The lines of the soliloquy that Caesar states are crucial to our understanding of this, as they starts to define another facet of Caesar’s personality that we have only heard of until now; namely, he is corrupt. As the emergence of Caesar’s ignoble side becomes more clear, the audience start to sympathize with Cassius’ and Brutus’ fear. When the lines are examined more closely, the we can discern the following two underlying themes: the private vs. public images of Caesar, and his ambition and arrogance. While Caesar is careful to project the strong, fearless, and steadfast leader he presents himself as, privately, he is unstable, manipulative, and egotistical. As these less likable attributes show, the conspirators are able to …show more content…
However, all the flattery and praises the plebeians had lavished on Caesar have gotten to his head, and now he actually believes he is above everyone else, and therefore deserves the crown. He no longer sees himself as a regular man; by stating that “if I were as you”, he separates himself from normal people, and behaves like he is someone superior to all else (Julius Caesar 3.1.64). He even goes as far as to compare himself to a god, as he states that only “prayers would move me” (3.1.65). He further compares himself to a higher entity, this time the Northern Star, which has no equal in the sky in it’s “fixed and resting quality” (3.1.66-71). These lines portrays the side of him that is harder to sympathize with. What had been an honorable trait of self-pride has been debased into a nefarious characteristic of superiority. His show of sheer arrogance starts to give his character more definition, and deepens our sense of his relentless
In addition to this characteristic of Cassius, he also has a devious nature. This attribute allows him to invent informed manipulative plans to eliminate his opponents. For instance, after saying his farewells to Brutus, he gives a soliloquy that reveals his idea of throwing writings of different handwritings in Brutus’ windows “as if they came from several citizens” all of which “tending to the great opinion that Rome holds of his name, wherein obscurely Caesar’s ambition shall be glancéd at” (Shakespeare I. ii. 306-309). Since Brutus and Cassius have been friends for a long period of time, Cassius holds an abundance of knowledge pertaining to his values--in this case being his honor and desire to please Rome’s citizens. This undermining plot Cassius has devised is based on an informed opinion of the most effective way to subvert Caesar’s authority, and because of the valid observations made of Brutus by Cassius, the likelihood that this clever scheme will be carried out successfully should make Caesar concerned about the intentions of his judicial
Julius Caesar was unquestionable a cunning Politian as portrayed within historical documents, even though the events were documented after the accounts of his rule materialized there are still numerous theories about his political ability’s and how he was viewed by the people he governed. This paper is intended to present the reader clear vision on how Julius Caesar was viewed during his dictatorship of Rome. Was Julius Caesar a selfish dictator or model politician? There will be five diverse source accounts of the events which will be examined for similarities and differences based on the historical evidences.
The book Julius Caesar is full of happiness, conspiracy, power, and betrayal. The people of Rome deeply loved julius Caesar and wished to make him their king. A group of senators however were not so fond of this idea and formed a conspiracy. The leader of this group was a man by the name of Cassius. In order to make sure that his scheme of killing Caesar would work and would look honorable he had to convince a senator by the name of Brutus to help. After being convinced that they had to kill Caesar to protect Rome from a tyrant Brutus joined the conspiracy and soon became the principal conspirator.On the day in which Caesar was to be crowned king he was on the way to the senate when he was stabbed by all the conspirators panic ensued and to convince Rome of their honorable intentions Brutus gave a funeral speech. Mark Antony, a very close friend of Caesar, gave his speech after Brutus had given his. Mark Antony’s speech is more persuasive to the Roman people because of his outstanding use of pathos, sarcasm, and logos.
“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” (3.2.24) This quote reflects the motive of Brutus for the assassination of his friend, Caesar. I believe Brutus killed him not out of disrespect, but in a selfless act to protect Rome from the decree of Caesar yet to come. I also believe that he did this out of force from the manipulation from his “friend” Cassius. In Shakespeare's “Julius Caesar”, Brutus’ two most significant characteristics are virtue and unconscious hypocrisy. In order to fully understand these characteristics, it is necessary to analyze all other contributing characteristics, the manipulation of friendship that Cassius uses against him, and the motivations for
Honor and power is what drives the conspirators to assassinate Julius Caesar in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. Caesar is now the single leader of Rome, and members of the Senate have concerns that he will abuse his sole power. Therefore, they plot and accomplish the assassination of Caesar in an attempt to rebuild the balance of Rome. Rome falls into chaos with an unknown future with no central leader for the people to follow. In Act I, Scene 2, Cassius, a member of the Senate, explains to his friend, Brutus, that Caesar is not the god he makes himself out to be. Instead, he argues both he and Brutus are equal to Caesar and are just as deserving of the throne. Cassius’ speech to Brutus diminishes Caesar’s godly demeanor through
Brutus’ tragic flaw was his perception that all men were identical to him in their motives. This factored allowed his decisions to be easily influenced by others whose motives were devious. Cassius was able to convince Brutus to join the conspiracy because Brutus thought the only reason behind the conspiracy was to prevent one man from becoming “Rex.” He allowed Antony’s speech to occur because he was sure that Antony was motivated by the same “honor” which motivated himself.
Julius Caesar, even though he is considered great, turns out to contain many flaws. He believes himself to be untouchable, and has a confidence that he cannot be harmed, even though that is not the case. He says so when he says, “Caesar shall forth. The things that threatened me ne’er looked but on ...
Selected for their loyalty and experience in combat, the Praetorian Guard grew in political power. They were the ones to protect the emperor and to help during times in need but they soon became lost in their own greed for power. This later caused political corruption by the Praetorian Guard, leading to instability in the Roman Empire in the late second century and the third century CE.
Julius Caesar is a moral, ethical man. He is a selfless man who puts others before himself. When Artemidorus gets word of the conspirator’s plans, he writes a letter to Caesar to warn him of his impending fate and rushes to the Capitol to give him word. Upon telling Caesar the letter is concerning him, Caesar simply brushes it off and responds, “What touches oneself shall be served last”(III,I, 8). Caesar altruistically puts aside an urgent manner concerning him to accept the offer of becoming King of Rome, which is the reason he went to the Capitol in the first place, which shows he is a benevolent, thoughtful person. In
Julius Caesar is the leader of Rome and is seeking to become king in a matter of time. Though he is a good military strategist, he lacks knowledge in running government and is too greedy to have any concern for the peasants when he is alive. Caesar is all about conquering and power and he is afraid of nothing. Before he is murdered, he says “The things that threatened me ne’er looked but on my back. When they shall see the face of Caesar, they are vanished” (II, ii, 575). Th...
In addition, “Might fire the blood of ordinary men/ To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood” (III.i.41&44). This quote demonstrates Caesar’s arrogance because he is implying that he is not a commoner, but a more powerful figure. “I rather tell thee what is to be feared/Than what I fear; for always I am Caesar” (I.ii.221-222). This quote demonstrates that Caesar is arrogant because he would never admit to the words he says due to the fact that it is the shameful truth. Also, “Help ho, they murder Caesar” (II.ii.3). This quote shows Caesar’s arrogance because he calls himself from the third person. This can demonstrate his tragic flaw because every commoner refers to themselves using first person nouns and since Caesar is more superior then others, he will act differently around the commoners. In addition to that, “Delay not, Caesar; read it instantly/ What is the fellow mad” (III.i.9-10). This quote demonstrates Caesar’s arrogance because he does not listen to Artemidorus’ warning that during the Ides of March, the conspirators (Metellus, Brutus, Cassius, Cinna, Decius, and Casca) will kill him. The reason he does not listen to his warnings because “Danger knows full well/ That Caesar is
Romulus and Remus’s mother conceived the twins with Mars, the god of war. Their great uncle, after they were born, seized the throne of their grandfather and hired government agents to kidnap and leave them on the Tiber River to die. Eventually, a she-wolf took them in as her own, and raised them for many years. Romulus soon found Rome, and by “divine right”, became its first ruler after killing Remus (Fontaine). The factual civilization of Rome came about as a small city on the easily controlled Mediterranean Sea. Set up as a trading post, the city thrived financially and socially. This success attracted enemies; specifically the Etruscans, great warriors from northern Italy who invaded Rome in 600 BC (Wood). This control did not last long,
Greed, ambition, and the possibility of self-gain are always constant in their efforts to influence people’s actions. In Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, a venerable politician, becomes a victim of the perpetual conflict between power-hungry politicians and ignorant commoners. He is a man of honor and good intentions who sacrifices his own happiness for the benefit of others. Unfortunately, his honor is strung into a fine balance between oblivion and belief and it is ultimately the cause of his downfall. His apparent obliviousness leads him to his grave as his merciful sparing of Mark Antony’s life, much like Julius Caesar’s ghost, comes back to haunt him. Overall, Brutus is an honest, sincere man who holds the lives of others in high regard while he himself acts as a servant to Rome.
Two powerful leaders, one power hungry whose ambitious ideas lead to his downfall, the other mindful of people who deserve their higher positions. A true leader is someone who has a vision, a drive and commitment to achieve what's best. In the play written by William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Brutus and Caesar are one of the main characters. They demonstrate leadership qualities that are still relevant to today. They are both very ambitious characters; however, they do so for different reasons and differ in their openness to others. There are many similarities and differences that lie between them. Both are noble and great men with loyal followers and neither man questions the rightness of his own path. Both made crucial mistakes that resulted in their death. However, Caesar acts out of love for for himself, his country, and to retain his power as ruler of Rome. Brutus on the other hand acts out of love for freedom of Rome. This essay will discuss and compare their qualities as leaders as well as their styles and how they are effective/ineffective in the play.
The ambition possessed by each character, leads Caesar, Brutus, and Cassius to power. It will be the same ambition, that quest for power, that makes each one susceptible to their own weakness. For Caesar, it will be his ego and inability to heed warnings, Brutus his love of Rome, and Cassius his dedication to power. These qualities prove that although intentions may be noble, ambition can make a person ruthless and blind them to their original goals. Ambition kills those who lose sight of their conscience and although it may prove beneficial in many instances, in this case, it leads the characters to lose all that they